The use of various types of transmissions for transferring energy from a power source, such as an engine, to an output shaft is well known. Some transmissions utilize a plurality of differently sized gears and require manual shifting in order to employ the differently sized gears in a specific sequence as the speed of vehicle is increased. Some other common transmissions are automatic and do not require a clutch in order to shift from one speed to another.
In my prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,350, issued Mar. 24, 1992, I describe a continuously variable drive train which has several advantages over conventional transmissions and drive trains.